Old Dandenong: 2017-07-16

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Manhattan Coffee Bar, Langhorne Street, Dandenong, early 1970s

The Manhattan was a popular meeting place or locals of the time, this shot also captures surrounding shops. To the left is the old Waltons and Venture building, now home to Dimmeys.

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Friday, July 21, 2017

Anzac Day Parade, Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1963.

With the National Bank, Rockmans, Ewarts, Vanity Court, Woolworth and Coles all within one view. The history and the atmosphere of the day collide in one beautiful scene.

Image supplied by Bill Farrell
https://www.facebook.com/bill.farrell2

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Thursday, July 20, 2017

Kingsbury’s, 117 Foster Street, Dandenong, 1972.

Kingsbury Lane (to the left of the shop) is named after Kingsbury Plumbers and Tank Makers (est. 1856), who made tanks and windmills. Later they turned their business to bicycles. Kingsbury Bicycles were then located in Foster Street (still visible sign writing).

In 1929 Alex Kingsbury built an arcade of shops which ran through from Foster to Lonsdale Street possibly through the Cassels Garage. Kingsbury’s nephew Frank set up in one of the shops to run a bicycle and pram business. In 1932 Frank was joined by his brother Gilbert; both served in the air force during the second world war. Upon their return Frank opened his own business in Frankston leaving Gilbert to manage the Dandenong shop.

Kingsbury’s sold motorbikes, push bikes and baby craft including
prams and nursery furniture. The lane was under 2 feet of water in the 1934 flood. In 1962 a local newspaper advertisement boasts modern new showrooms, by the 1970's he still owned the building and was operating a baby supply shop in half of the building, renting the other half out.

By coincidence Richard Wolters chose the other side to run Progressive Motorcycle which he owned between 1971 and 1975, not knowing of the connection until one day someone dropped in and told Richard that it was a coincidence that he had chosen that shop.

Photo supplied by Richard Wolters
https://www.facebook.com/richard.wolters.140

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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Masonic Lodge, 5 Mason St, Dandenong, in 1967

The 1919 township plan of Dandenong shows a cottage on Lot 12, the site where the Masonic Hall is now built. No documentation could be located on the date of its demolition.

The history of the Masonic Lodge in Dandenong commenced in 1876 when the Lodge of Sincerity (then 1701 of the English Constitution) now no. 179 on the register of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria, was consecrated. 64 The first meeting to consider the forming of the Lodge of Free and Acceptable Masons was held on 3 September 1876 but the lodge was
closed in 1881.

It wasn’t until 1896 that the re-opening of the Lodge was reconsidered. Members from the original Lodge joined this new Lodge of Sincerity and brought with them regalia, furniture and money. The new Lodge was consecrated on the 24 August 1896, and meetings were held on a monthly basis at the Lodge Room of the Mechanics Institute at the Shire Offices. The Lodge was known as the Lodge of Sincerity no. 179 under the United Grand Lodge of Victoria.

In December 1907 members decided to set aside part of the members dues and initiation fees for the future construction of a Masonic Temple. In the 1920s, the Lodge was struggling for space due to a large increase in memberships and on the 7 September 1922 the Lodge held a meeting to discuss the possibility of building. A contract was entered with Bro. G. Snell to have plans and specifications drawn up for the cost of £2,800. Tenders were called and a building contract was signed with Bro. N. A. Taylor for the total sum of £2,530.

The building was completed in 1923 with all furniture and fittings for the supper and lodge room donated by members.

On 22 December 1923, the Lodge held their first meeting in the new building. On the 16 August 1924 a ceremony of dedication was held and the foundation stone was unveiled. In 1931, £274 was spent for concrete rendering and other improvements. In 1940, 1955 and 1979/81 alterations were made to accommodate and upgrade female and male toilets.

In 1991 the Dandenong Masonic Temple as well as those in Springvale, Mordialloc and Chelsea closed. They all amalgamated to use a new building in Keysborough.

In 1992 the building was used by the “Recycle Workshop”. By September 1996 the building had been acquired by Mick and Rosa Valenti. In December 1996 they leased the building to the Spanish Christian Church for three years with Guillermo Esquivell as the Senior Minister. The building is now vacant as remodeling and construction of neighboring land takes place..

Information courtesy of Greater Dandenong Heritage Study
http://www.greaterdandenong.com/document/25296/city-of-greater-dandenong-heritage-study
Image origins unknown at time of posting.

EDIT; This building is still standing proudly, present plans see it becoming an art gallery, securing its future for more generations to come. Precently it is shadowed over by Quest Apartments on one side and the new energy building behind it.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, 1960s

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Monday, July 17, 2017

Hugh Murray & Son, 1 Pickett Street, Dandenong, 1960s?

Picture was dated as 1960 but appears to be earlier..

Hugh Murray was born just outside Geelong. In about 1898 he started business in Buln Buln as a general black smith, by 1903 he had changed to focus on the manufacturing of harrows, the company moved to Dandenong in 1915. Initially specializing in Harrows, they spread into other agricultural equipment.

At the time of opening in Dandenong in 1915, the Gippsland and Northern Selling Company had a butter box manufacturing factory next door. The Buln Buln business was bought by Mr. J. Mathews, who took up the shoeing and more general work of the trade. In 1929 they extended the factory from 1,500 square feet to 6,000 square feet.

In the early 1920s, the Essex Dairy, who also made ice, was located next door (opposite side of pickett). This was followed by the Dandy Preserves (Company) which in the 1920s was already and old-established business in foster street, they made primarily cordials at the time. In 1937 the Essex Dairy premises were sold and a cheese factory took over. Grendas bus depot was located next to the cheese factory.

He had one son named Leslie, sadly Leslies wife Doris passed away in 1939. Hugh retired in the early 1930s, the company converting into a propriety with Mr Taylor and Leslie Murray partnering. Hugh and his wife celebrated their diamond jubilee in 1951, he died in October 1954 at the aged 84.

The area around Railway Parade was at the time known as the Station Estate. In a 1920 advertisement over 100 residential lots were being sold at an auction, helping to form the station edge of Dandenong and Dandenong West. Earlier sales having been held as early as 1913, when the estate was subdivided. Other estates also made up for the remainder of Dandenong west.

In about 1996, The Murray family chose to divest in the company and sell to the Taylor family, Thus ending over 90 years of involvement in the company. The Taylor family continue from when Leslie Taylor took partnership with Leslie Murray upon the retirement of Hugh Murray in 1930.

The modern form of the company, now trading as Murray Agricultural Equipment, still operates from the same site in Pickett street, Dandenong. In this photo you can also see the bulk of what was the Station Estate around and behind their building.

The Dandenong Journal - Mon 4 Jul 1932